Sen. Winter Confident Paid Leave Bill Will Pass This Time Proposed legislation expands definition of ‘family,’ joins more than a dozen other states in introducing bills

Sen. Faith Winter has sponsored paid family and medical leave bills three times in past legislative sessions. But this year, she’s confident the latest yet-to-be-introduced version will pass.

She said the the goal is to introduce the bill the week of Feb. 25. Winter said as a result of stakeholder feedback, this year’s version broadens the definition of “family” from past iterations of the bill. According to an unedited and unrevised draft, the measure defines “family member” to include a covered employee’s immediate family member, domestic partner and “any other individual whose close association with the covered individual is the equivalent of a familial relationship.”

Winter said past versions of the bill defined “family” more traditionally, but said the latest definition considers the reality that non-traditional families are common.